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Feb. 20th, 2013 10:15 pmA bit late this week; I'm on vacation and it was harder to remember about this without the rest of the Monday routine to go with it.
I would claim that I don't always have such a one-track mind in my media consumption, but I'd be lying. Also I think the lengthy babbling is going to start being a thing now that I'm remembering how posting to my journal actually works.
Week of February 11:
Books:
* The Church of Fear, John Sweeney (you know how sometimes you go back to reread bits and pieces of something and end up reading the whole thing again? Yep. I found this to be a fascinating reread given everything I've learned about Scientology in the past few weeks; Sweeney's writing is focused more on his experience than on information, so there were a lot of things I'd had to learn elsewhere, and the fresh context was really beneficial. Worryingly, I think I also understand the language of Scientology now better than Sweeney did when he wrote his book. - I spotted at least one instance where he's just flat-out wrong. I still think that, as the story of someone who has experienced harassment from the Church, it's worth a read, and it does have some fresh material that hasn't appeared elsewhere [like some leaked emails allegedly exchanged whilst Sweeney and his crew were being followed], but if you want to actually learn the details of Scientology itself you're better off with pretty much any of the other books I've listed. Except possibly the Tom Cruise biography.)
* My BIllion Year Contract, Nancy Many
Television:
* Scientology & Me (the 2007 Panorama documentary Sweeney writes about making in Church of Fear. Best watched after reading the book, I think; as a documentary it's not that impressive, but as the product of Sweeney's experience it's quite interesting. Also, the footage of Sweeney and Tommy Davis getting in each other's faces is hilarious. Easily found on YouTube; just Google the title.)
Movies:
* St Trinian's
* Side Effects (DO NOT GO SEE THIS MOVIE. Not only is it poorly written and unable to decide whose story it's telling, but it is massively offensive. ( Cut because spoilers and also it got a bit long. )
I would claim that I don't always have such a one-track mind in my media consumption, but I'd be lying. Also I think the lengthy babbling is going to start being a thing now that I'm remembering how posting to my journal actually works.
Week of February 11:
Books:
* The Church of Fear, John Sweeney (you know how sometimes you go back to reread bits and pieces of something and end up reading the whole thing again? Yep. I found this to be a fascinating reread given everything I've learned about Scientology in the past few weeks; Sweeney's writing is focused more on his experience than on information, so there were a lot of things I'd had to learn elsewhere, and the fresh context was really beneficial. Worryingly, I think I also understand the language of Scientology now better than Sweeney did when he wrote his book. - I spotted at least one instance where he's just flat-out wrong. I still think that, as the story of someone who has experienced harassment from the Church, it's worth a read, and it does have some fresh material that hasn't appeared elsewhere [like some leaked emails allegedly exchanged whilst Sweeney and his crew were being followed], but if you want to actually learn the details of Scientology itself you're better off with pretty much any of the other books I've listed. Except possibly the Tom Cruise biography.)
* My BIllion Year Contract, Nancy Many
Television:
* Scientology & Me (the 2007 Panorama documentary Sweeney writes about making in Church of Fear. Best watched after reading the book, I think; as a documentary it's not that impressive, but as the product of Sweeney's experience it's quite interesting. Also, the footage of Sweeney and Tommy Davis getting in each other's faces is hilarious. Easily found on YouTube; just Google the title.)
Movies:
* St Trinian's
* Side Effects (DO NOT GO SEE THIS MOVIE. Not only is it poorly written and unable to decide whose story it's telling, but it is massively offensive. ( Cut because spoilers and also it got a bit long. )